Valentine

Have you ever met Valentine, our Standard Poodle? We bought her seven years ago or so, and like a crazy idiot, I was supposed to train her to be a therapy dog for Sophie. I drove to San Diego (two hours away) every other weekend for a one-day training class. I did that for about six months, and then I couldn't do it anymore. Valentine became a family dog. She is impossibly people-oriented and lives to be loved. She does 360s when we walk in the front door and hasn't calmed down one bit over the years. She's "of average intelligence" for her breed, according to the trainer we took her to for behavior some years ago, which was really just a nice way to say that she's not "that bright." Poodles are supposed to be one of the smartest breeds of dogs out there, but she's more human-like than intelligent, I think. Oliver adores her, in particular and has no problem giving her kisses on her mouth. I love her for her simplicity but  her clicking toenails on the hardwood floor drive me nuts. I think she's really cute, but I also think she's a pain in the ass.